1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to identifying computing devices. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods that utilize digital fonts to securely authorize computing devices.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Recent years have seen a rapid proliferation in the use of web-enabled devices to store and utilize information on remote, third-party servers. For example, individuals and businesses increasingly utilize smartphones, tablets, laptops, or personal computers to access applications or data stored on cloud-based systems. Indeed, it is now common for individuals to create electronic documents (such as word processing documents, PDFs, photographs, or video) via tablets or other web-enabled devices, and store the electronic documents on one or more cloud-based systems hosted by a third-party service provider.
In light of the growth of web-enabled devices and third-party servers, individuals and businesses increasingly utilize the web to manage their digital assets. For example, it is increasingly common for individuals to download software applications or other digital assets onto a client device (e.g., photo-editing software or a software management application), while also managing data or features corresponding to the software applications or other digital assets via a web browser (e.g., managing digital images stored on a remote server or managing software application subscriptions via a web browser). Accordingly, users seek systems that permit them to seamlessly transition between local applications and data and corresponding applications and data stored on the web. Moreover, users demand systems that maintain the security and privacy of client information entrusted to the cloud-based system.
Unfortunately, users often experience frustration in dealing with conventional cloud-based systems because they are incapable of securely identifying the client device via a web browser without the user providing various forms of identifying information. For example, after downloading digital assets from a conventional cloud-based system, a user may have to enter login information (e.g., username, password, security question answers) to obtain client-specific information regarding the digital assets via a web browser. For instance, in order to access information regarding software configurations, settings, or updates via a web browser, a cloud-based system may require a user to provide identifying information to allow the cloud-based system to authenticate the device and locate the client-specific information. Accordingly, although users are increasingly utilizing web applications to manage local digital assets, conventional systems make it difficult for users to seamlessly transition from the desktop to the web.
Some conventional systems reduce the inconvenience and frustration associated with using web applications to manage local digital assets by employing browser based plug-ins that identify computing devices (e.g., software applications that run in conjunction with a web browser that provide identifying information to the cloud-based system). Unfortunately, conventional systems that utilize plug-ins are subject to the individualized characteristics and operations of varying web browsers. For example, due to security issues, many browsers have recently discontinued support for NPAPI, a mechanism commonly utilized to build plug-ins for web browsers. Because web browsers are increasingly refusing to support third-party code, browser plug-ins fail to provide a reliable, global solution for securely identifying computing devices.
Similarly to browser-plugins, some conventional systems have utilized Flash local storage (i.e., Flash player) to pass domain-based cookies across a browser and identify computing devices. However, many web browsers have also discontinued support for Flash player due to security reasons. Accordingly, Flash local storage also fails to provide a reliable solution for identifying computing devices and coordinating web-based management systems with local applications.
These and other problems exist with regard to identifying computing devices via a web browser using conventional systems and methods.